George Szell owned the Brahms concerto. He recorded it three times in stereo, with Leon Fleischer, Rudolph Serkin, and in this version with Clifford Curzon. By general consensus the Fleischer recording is the finest, and it’s available in a newly remastered release from Sony Masterworks Heritage. Despite Szell’s best efforts, the London Symphony was no Cleveland Orchestra, though he does have them playing at the top of their early 1960s form. Curzon’s performance of the solo part always has been admired for its naturalness, nobility of utterance, and discipline, and this remains not just one of his finest recordings, but certainly one of the outstanding versions of the concerto. Decca’s remastered sound seems to focus on the piano at the expense of the orchestra, which sounds a might shrill in this transfer–but this is a minor defect at best. The two fillers are charming, and make a welcome bonus.
